The present invention relates to device for treating a blood vessel comprising at least one implant, deployable between a contracted state and an expanded state. A hollow prop internally delimits a central passage between a proximal end and a distal end, and in the vicinity of its distal end, the hollow prop defines defining at least one opening for retaining the implant. At least one filamentary line releasably fixes the implant to the prop, and each filamentary line comprises a pulling portion engaged in the opening and extending into the central passage at least as far as a control end which can be operated from the proximal end of the prop.
A device of this type is used for releasing implants into a blood vessel, such as tubular endoprostheses usually referred to as “stents” or other types of endoprostheses, such as endovalves.
A device of the aforementioned type is disclosed in FR-A-2 863 160. In this device, an endoprosthesis is mounted coaxially on a hollow prop. The endoprosthesis is held in its refracted state with the aid of two filamentary lines which surround the endoprosthesis at its ends. The filamentary lines are respectively engaged in the distal and proximal retaining openings provided in the prop. Each filamentary line comprises a control portion which extends into the prop as far as a respective control end accessible to the user through a respective lateral branch of the prop. In this device, each end of the endoprosthesis can be released independently of the other end. Thus, the control portion of one of the filamentary lines is displaced inside the prop towards the distal end so as to disengage the corresponding end of the endoprosthesis. The filamentary line is then extracted from the device when the endoprosthesis has been satisfactorily placed in the vessel.
A surgical guide is pre-positioned in the blood vessel in order to insert the device into the patient's blood vessel. Next, the prop bearing the endoprosthesis is inserted into the vessel by being slid along the guide. During this insertion, or during the subsequent movement of the filamentary lines, the lines and the guide may become entangled, which adversely affects the reliability of the device.